Netflix and Miramax announced this week a multi-year agreement under which Netflix members in the U.S. will be able to instantly watch some of the world’s most loved and acclaimed motion pictures from the Miramax film library. It is the first time Miramax titles have become available through a digital subscription service. Beginning in June, Netflix members in the U.S. will be able to instantly watch several hundred Miramax movies, with dozens of titles being […]
Terrence Malick’s “Tree of Life,” probably the most highly anticipated film at the Cannes Film Festival, held multiple, invitation-only screenings on Monday at the Grand Theatre Lumiere, the largest theater available there. Audiences actually booed the film. (As the audiences in Cannes are notorious for doing when they are shocked, offended or simply bored to death.) It shocked Malick’s supporters so much, they gave the film a rather defensive standing ovation as the credits rolled.Malick […]
12 students from nine U.S. colleges and universities and three students from outside the U.S. have been selected as winners in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 38th Annual Student Academy Awards competition. The student filmmakers will be brought to Los Angeles for a week of industry-related activities and social events that will culminate in the awards ceremony on Saturday, June 11, at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. The winners are (listed alphabetically […]
Now in its 22nd year, the 2011 Human Rights Watch Film Festival returns to New York from June 16 to 30 at the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater. Nineteen of the best human rights themed films from 12 countries will be screened, 17 of them New York premieres. The Human Rights Watch Film Festival program this year is organized around four themes: Truth, Justice and Accountability; Times of Conflict and Responses to […]
Twelve films received Golden Honu Awards at the 6th Annual Big Island Film Festival today. Best Feature went to “Queen of the Lot,” starring Tanna Frederick and Noah Wyle, written and directed by Henry Jaglom, produced by Rosemary Marks. Celebrity actresses Sarah Wayne Callies (“The Walking Dead”) and Hilo’s own Kristina Anapau (“Black Swan”) were present to receive special “No Ka Oi” awards from Big Island Film Festival Executive Director Leo Sears. Winners were selected […]
Amigo, written and directed by John Sayles and starring Chris Cooper has been announced as the opening night film of the 3rd Albuquerque Film Festival scheduled for August 18st – 21st, 2011. AMIGO stars Joel Torre as Rafael Dacanay, a village mayor caught in the murderous cross-fire of the Philippine-American War in 1900. When U.S. troops garrison his village, Rafael comes under pressure to collaborate from the blood-and-guts Colonel Hardacre (Chris Cooper) as he tries […]
The 14th Shanghai International Film Festival announced its first batch of the competition films for its Golden Goblet Award on May 10th. The nine films in the shortlist come from Argentina, Italy, Japan, Germany, Turkey, and Russia. Among them, the latest work by British director Roland Joffe, a Golden Palm recipient in Cannes, and Japanese director SABU. The nine films are: “The Bones Tunnel” (Argentina) directed by Nacho Garassino “Ainom” (Italy) directed by Lorenzo Ceva […]
The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls is a new documentary directed by New Zealand filmmaker Leanne Pooley on two fascinating subjects—the performing duo Lynda and Jools Topp, twins who have become cultural and national icons in New Zealand over the past 25 years. As one interviewee says, a pair of yodeling lesbian twins doesn’t sound all that impressive on paper, but their act, which includes country music, comedy, and interaction with audience members, succeeds in entertaining […]
“My Heart Is An Idiot” is a new documentary about love that spans two years and over a hundred cities. The film captures the road-tripping lifestyle of Davy Rothbart (creator of “FOUND Magazine,” “This American Life” contributor, author of “The Lone Surfer of Montana, Kansas”) who looks for love in all the right places, and in all the wrong ways. The film climbs into the tour van, as Davy tours North America promoting his magazine […]
Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut, “In the Land of Blood and Honey,” which was also written by Jolie, will be released by FilmDistrict, in the US on Dec. 23. Graham King and his producing partner Tim Headington, together with Peter Schlessel, CEO of FilmDistrict, announced today in Cannes that Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut, “In the Land of Blood and Honey,” which was also written by Jolie, will be released by FilmDistrict, a subsidiary of GK Films, […]
Sundance Selects, sister division to IFC Films and IFC Midnight, announced from the 2011 Cannes Film Festival that the company will release Julia Leigh’s “Sleeping Beauty” in the the US. The film, with a screenplay by Leigh, stars Emily Browning, Rachael Blake, Ewen Leslie, Peter Carroll, Chris Haywood, and was produced by Jessica Brentnall. The film premiered this week in Competition at the festival. Lucy is a young university student possessed by a kind of […]
The documentary movie about punk rock fathers, The Other F Word, which asks the question ‘What happens when a generation’s ultimate anti-authoritarians — punk rockers — become society’s ultimate authorities — dads?‘ is headed to theaters and cable tv, reports The Hollywood Report. Oscilloscope Laboratories will release the film in Fall 2011 and Showtime plan to broadcast the film in 2012. Directed by Andrea Blaugrund Nevins, “The Other F Word ” premiered at the 2011 SXSW […]
The rock and roll documentary Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon will celebrate its Oklahoma premiere on Wednesday, June 8 as the inaugural film of the 2011 deadCENTER Film Festival. Talihina Sky is the story of Kings of Leon, whose strict Pentecostal upbringing in Oklahoma and Tennessee preceded their unlikely transformation into one of the biggest rock bands in the world. The free, outdoor screening begins at 9:30 p.m. at the 400 block […]
The Ministry of Culture has announced that it will cancel the Cairo International Film Festival this year due to upcoming elections, Gulf News reported. “The Ministry of Culture has decided to cancel the festival this year, which was due in late November, because of the current preparations for the parliamentary and presidential elections as well as due to the economic situation.” Emad Abu Ghazi, the Minister of Culture, denied that instability in Egypt was behind […]
The Los Angeles Film Festival, continue to get ready for the 2011 edition, announcing Guillermo del Toro as Guest Director, as well as film selections for closing night, a special screening, galas, conversations and more. In his role as Guest Director, del Toro will select a film to present at the Festival that has been an influence to him, followed by a conversation. Presented by Guillermo del Toro, FilmDistrict’s world premiere of Don’t Be Afraid […]
Rooftop Films is doing it different this year, announcing a special weekend of select films from the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival, making their New York Premieres June 3-5 2011, as part of Rooftop Films 15th Annual Summer Series. The films making their New York Premieres as part of our South by Southwest Weekend are The Dish and the Spoon directed by Alison Bagnall and starring Greta Gerwig, No Matter What directed by Cherie […]
The themes of bullying, being bullied, and the horrific effects it can have on a child were displayed in full force at this year’s 2011 Tribeca Film Festival in New York.
Director Lee Hirsch, who was himself bullied as a child, helms this poignant, thorough and very topical “Bully Project,” which takes you not only into the lives of children being ridiculed and teased at school, but, literally, onto the school bus right along with both the weak and the tormented. He also highlights two families who both suffered a devastating loss when their child killed themselves. (One middle-school age child, and one teen-ager).
The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) revealed the first details of its 2011 program showcasing some of the best new British films . The program will include the world premiere of political thriller ‘Page Eight’ from twice Oscar-nominated David Hare (best known for the internationally acclaimed ‘The Hours’ and ‘The Reader’) – which stars Bill Nighy, Rachel Weisz, Michael Gambon, Ralph Fiennes and Judy Davis. Scottish director David Mackenzie (Young Adam, Hallam Foe) will also […]
Turkey Bowl, which world-premiered at 2011 South By Southwest is getting a planned Summer 2011 release in the US after being acquired by Tribeca Film. Written and directed by Kyle Smith in a breakout debut, Turkey Bowl is a real-time comedy set in Los Angeles. Every summer, Jon (Jon Schmidt) gathers 10 friends together in his adopted city to play the Turkey Bowl – bringing a piece of small-town tradition to the urban sprawl – […]
The South Korean film “Anyang, Paradise City”won the grand prize in the Korean feature films competition category at the 12th Jeonju International Film Festival. Directed by Park Chan-kyong, the film portrays the past and present of the South Korean city of Anyang by integrating elements of documentary and feature film. Park is a younger brother of director Park Chan-wook, an award-winning director who captured the grand prix honors at Cannes in 2004 with “Oldboy.” The […]
The 11th Annual New York Indian Film Festival came to a close on May 8 with the Closing Night red carpet premiere of Rituparno Ghosh’s powerful film Noukadubi which was attended by Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh Kapoor, Salman Rushdie, Mira Nair, Aparna Sen, Madhur Jaffrey, Ambassador Prakash Shah, Consul General Prabhu Dayal, and many other notable celebrities. Noukadubi is a 1920s love story based on the novel by Rabindranath Tagore. Following the premiere at Asia […]
Jonathan Sobol’s feature-length writing-directing debut ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Endings’ was the big winner at the 2011 Newport Beach Film Festival winning multiple awards including the top prize Jury Award for Best Feature Film. The film follows the three eldest sons (Scott Caan, Paul Costanzo and Jason Jones) of a career gambler (Harvey Keitel) and how they each respond to his death. Oren Kaplan’s “Hamill’ a true story based on the life of deaf UFC […]
‘Dragonslayer’ won Best International Feature and ‘Family Portrait in Black and White’ won Best Canadian Feature at the 2011 Hot Docs Film Festival. Nine awards and over $72,000 in cash prizes were presented to Canadian and international filmmakers, including awards for Festival films in competition and those recognizing emerging and established filmmakers. 2011 Hot Docs Film Festival Award Winners: Best Canadian Feature FAMILY PORTRAIT IN BLACK AND WHITE (D: Julia Ivanova; P: Boris Ivanov, Mike […]
Donald Trump is making more news, this time with a new Scottish documentary coming out that paints a pretty negative picture of the tycoon. The film, You’ve Been Trumped, directed by the Scottish filmmaker Anthony Baxter, premiered at the Toronto Hot Docs Festival, which is still running. It follows the process of Trump trying to build a golf course in the lovely seaside village of Balmedie, Scotland, where the sport was reportedly born. He runs […]